That sense of belonging only heightened when they stepped on concrete ground. The wind, earth, air, and the open sky were like a mother's embrace, welcoming them home. Shi Jian and the guys were like aliens landing on Earth for the first time, which they kind of were, curious about everything they saw.
"This is soil?" Someone squatted down to scoop up a generous helping of soil. He smelled the soil with his eyes closed and a satisfied smile bloomed on his face.
"So, this is what real grass and flowers look like!"
"The wind here is completely different from the one in the base, it's nice and has a unique smell to it."
"This place is huge; I can't even see the horizon."
"Quick, look, it's the moon!" Someone suddenly pointed at the full moon above them. It was night and the moon in the sky was big and beautiful. Needless to say, it was completely different scenery compared to what Shi Jian and the guys were used to. They were brought up in the enclosed environment of a base on the moon; they had only seen the moon very close and upfront.
The only exception was when they looked up to see the moon when they were still at the orphanage. However, that was so long ago. Therefore, when they saw the moon again from so far away, they were excited like they were looking at a great miracle of nature.
"The moon looks so beautiful from Earth. I thought I would hate the moon forever, but now that I'm back home, I only feel a great outpouring of love in my heart," commented Shi Jian as he gazed at the moon. His eyes were particularly red. This man in his thirties who was averse to displaying emotions showed his rare vulnerable side.
Everyone else felt the same. There were tears shining in their eyes as well.
"I thought I had lost interest in everything, but now I realize how much I love everything here. I can still feel and give love."
"Me too. I love everything here, even this little bit of soil."
Everyone started expressing their emotions. Xinghe's group looked at them and felt overwhelmed. They too lifted up their heads to study the moon, and for some reason, felt it was uniquely beautiful that night.
They had spent their whole lives on Earth and were used to everything there. Normally, they would not stop to study everything the world had to offer. Only now did they realized how beautiful Earth really was, beauty that they would normally miss. They were reminded of how lucky they were.
Therefore, from then on, they would appreciate this beautiful planet even more.
The spaceships landed in an empty area far away from civilization in Country R. The landing spot was pre-selected. It was far away from any human activity, so it was perfect.
Xinghe then contacted George. George was still responsible for this mission, and he soon sent his men to come fetch them.
While they waited for George to arrive, Shi Jian and the guys were lost in their appreciation of Earth and everything it had to offer.
Sam sat on the grass field and a blade of grass dangled from his lips. Looking at Shi Jian and the guys' antics, he smiled and said, "Witnessing how much they love Earth, I swear to follow their example. I swear to not litter and stop hunting for wild game. In any case, I will be someone who protects nature."
Xinghe smiled slightly. "Looks like you have learnt quite a bit from this adventure as well."
He even swore off his favorite wild game, that was truly something else.